The growth of capnophilic bacteria is facilitated by high concentrations of carbon dioxide. These microorganisms may be selectively enriched by culturing samples comprising mixed bacteria in high-CO2 environments.
Campylobacter is a genus of capnophilic bacteria. Certain species of Campylobacter are associated with food-borne illnesses. These microorganisms are now recognized to be the leading cause of bacterial gastroenteritis worldwide. Traditional techniques for culturing Campylobacter require incubation in a microaerobic environment. Gas-generating kits may not be adequate in methods of culturing Campylobacter because i) the bacteria are exposed to atmospheric oxygen for extended periods of time and ii) the kits eventually remove all of the oxygen, thereby inhibiting growth of the microaerophilic Campylobacter microorganisms.
There remains a need for improved culture devices and methods for culturing capnophilic microorganisms in general and for culturing Campylobacter species in particular.